Only 14 local area hackney licences remain active

More than two years after local area hackney licences were introduced to help tackle rural isolation, just 14 such licences remain active in the State.

The licence was seen as a way of facilitating a low-cost entry to the hackney market in rural areas that would otherwise be unlikely to have such services.

However, there are active licences in only nine counties, with just one active licence in the State’s largest county, Co Cork.

A publican’s group, which initially welcomed the idea of special rural hackneys, said their effect had been “marginal” and that the scheme will need to be looked at again.

A Vintners Federation of Ireland spokesman said: "It's quite obvious rural Ireland has come under consistent threat in recent years and the lack of rural transport remains a serious issue.

“It was hoped this scheme would help alleviate some of the problems of rural isolation affecting so many of the older community in particular, but this has not turned out to be the case thus far.”

The vintners’ group said that “certain aspects of the scheme will need to be looked at closely for it to have the impact it needs to have to improve the current situation for those living in rural Ireland”.

The licences were aimed at countering the isolation that many people in rural areas experience when they can no longer travel "to pubs, community and sporting events", according to then minister of state at the Department of Transport Alan Kelly in 2012.

According to figures released to Kerry Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin earlier this year, counties Clare, Cork, Kilkenny, Monaghan, Tipperary and Westmeath have one active rural hackney licence each, with two licences active in Co Donegal and three active licences in both Co Galway and Co Mayo.

Applications

Since the introduction of the local area hackney licence category in December 2013, a total of 69 applications have been received.

Eighteen licences were issued, two of which expired and two of which were surrendered.

Twenty-four applications were refused, while the remaining applications were either incomplete or required additional information.

"It is critical when reviewing applications to ascertain whether current operators are likely to be displaced by this very special purpose licence with a restricted 5km to 7km pickup area," said NTA chief executive Anne Graham, in correspondence.

“It is often accepted that there may be a local benefit to the addition of extra hackney services in an area, but this special purpose local area hackney licence is not the suitable instrument to achieve such benefit, rather further standard taxi and hackney services are appropriate for servicing the business and hospitality needs of the area,” she said.